Tranquility House
by Shivah
Summary: A few days before the Gaia Anniversary Ball, Jynx has snuck out of the house. Miyu seems pensive and worried about something, though she really hasn't talked with anyone about it. Amalthea has tried to help her sort her thoughts out on the matter.
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to Tranquility House!

As you pick your way up the path through the tranquil garden, the first thing you may notice is the subtle yet charming tones of various wind chimes that hang from the house in various places. It seems Miyu has a penchant for their pleasing tones, and as the winds play their song you are overcome with a sense of calm and comfort. You are standing before a large home on sprawling grounds, all in very good repair and upkeep. The entire place seems overwhelmingly large and yet incredibly peaceful at the same time. You begin to notice touches of personality here and there as you gaze with admiration at the structure and it soon dawns on you that this home is an exact replica of everything Miyu is and stands for: beauty, peace, tranquility, and with depths to be explored.

You may enter here or have Dove usher you inside, while she takes your coat and brings you a drink, for you are welcome here in this place of peace and pleasure. As you enter Miyu's Home you notice at once the minimumalistic approach to the decor to some of the public areas both striking and beautiful, and yet pleasing and pleasant. As you explore however, you notice that some of the more private rooms can be cluttered yet everything seems neat, and organized. Dove seems to have the household well in hand as everything is clean. The smell of fresh jasmine incense floats on the air as you enjoy the dining room, which at the moment you find small while Dove prepares you some fruit. You notice at once that this room can easily be converted to a large formal dining area with many tables and kneeling pillows with very little effort. Beyond some cleverly placed screens you find couches to lounge on, the screens to the outside thrown open to the day during fair weather so that guests may enjoy the view of the tranquil gardens outside. The light splashing from the fountains and pond lend themselves to the symphony of wind chimes that sing the wind's secrets.

When you are escorted to your room by the lovely Dove, you find that a bed has been made up for you from the finest quality of feathers and sheets, both silk and satin made available to you. The facilities are gleaming and clean, ready to be of your use with large fluffy towels and pleasant smelling soaps. Dove will light incense of your choice and if you so chose you might take supper here. The screens are open to the garden during fair weather during the day but closed at night so you may rest peacefully to the sounds of the sweet chimes that sing lightly just outside.

When dinner is served whether you chose to join the family at the table or have Dove bring it to you in your rooms, it is of the most elegant quality you have ever tasted. Only the finest wine and best delicacies are offered in Miyu's home, cooked by the expert skill of Dove. You feel invigorated and renewed here and know that you are a treasured and welcome guest.

About the Residents:  
Miyu:   
Miyu is a wealthy Gaian, and certainly believes in sharing the wealth, however she believes that a person should be willing to work for their own, if they don't strike it lucky. It is for this reason that she will often share her wealth by holding a raffle, or lotto, with the prizes being high stakes with low costs in ticket price offering a chance for someone to get lucky while at the same time she will offer the same high stakes prizes to someone willing to work for it by bumping and posting a great deal. She will donate to people she sees working hard at doing for themselves before she will donate to a beggar. She works often with charities.

Miyu is gifted with many phenomenal and extra sensory perceptions, and can most often be found in her shop which is right next door to her home, Mysterious Babbles, doing tarot readings. She is also an astrologist so when she is home she is most often pouring over charts and graphs to create a birth chart for a client. If Dove did not remind her to eat once in awhile she may well forget, though she does seem to drop everything for her adoptive children when they need her.

Miyu has long flowing violet hair, and shining blue eyes. She has a varied taste when it comes to wardrobe however and can dress quite bizarre one day and normal the next. There does not ever seem to be any rhyme or reason to it, other than it pleases her to do so. Sometimes Miyu prefers to wear her hair up in twin buns, or allow it to flutter down her back.

Miyu is kind, compassionate, and willing to lend a helping hand with an open heart. She welcomes friends to her home happily and seems to truly enjoy having guests in her guest rooms, her wine racks enjoying an ebb and flow, and dinner parties that Dove's excellent cooking provides a welcoming atmosphere.

Dove:   
Little is really known about the actual relationship between Dove and Miyu. They are notoriously silent on the matter saying there is a time and place for everything and this time, this place isn't it. When questioned Miyu will say that Dove is her housekeeper and closest companion, and Dove will only say that she owes Miyu a debt of gratitude and occasionally refers to it as a life-debt. They treat each other well bordering on affectionate, but their personal lives are kept as that: personal. They are both very firm on this matter, and most if not all people seem to respect that and do not pry further.

Dove is kind, quiet, compassionate, and a hard worker. She keeps the house spic and span, the residents fed, the guests comfortable, and the pets' habitats clean and welcoming. She creates an atmosphere of calm and tranquility around the house with a quiet and elegant grace that is rarely seen in this day and time. However she seems to derive her greatest joy from doing so, saying only that in her culture there are some that are born to serve and she is merely responding to her calling.

Dove has long white hair brushing down to her shoulders, and a startling porcelain complexion. You would almost say she were an albino if it were not for her violet gaze. She appears fragile, yet the beauty that rolls off her in waves is astounding. She moves like a dancer, full of fluid grace and pleasure, and every move can make an artist weep that it can not be captured in any medium save for her own. She is most often found kneeling at Miyu's side gazing at her adoringly, attentive to any need that may arise. Other times she may simply been seen taking care of Miyu's house, children, guests and pets.

Shoushan:  
Miyu's sister.

Kyrsten:  
Miyu's best friend.

Miyu's Adopted Children  
Triplet Dog Tahnee

Symphony Xiang:   
To be sure, all of the girls loved Celebration's voice when she sang. It was as if a finely tuned instrument were being coaxed by a master to sing it's best with every song that Celebration sang. However, it was Symphony who heard the musical quality of the notes and it became her first love.

From a child when she first came to Miyu's home with her sisters she was at once dazzled and awed by Celebration's music. It became clear at once that she had a perfect ear, able to match Celebration's pitch on the piano without hesitation, and everyone agreed that her name should become Symphony and Miyu named her so.

She is a delicate soul, her only obsession music, and her instrument of choice has become the violin, though she can play the piano effortlessly, and her singing voice is light and airy though none could ever match the lovely tones of Celebration. She has learned under Celebration's tutelage and seems to understand Celebration's mode of speech almost as well as Miyu and often interprets Celebration's babbles for her sisters or Miyu's guests and visitors.

The quality of her music flows through her veins, and she is emotional and fluid, but somewhat distant as if she hears the sounds of music that no one else can hear at all times. It is for this reason some may call her standoffish or even scattered brained, but it is merely that when one hears the voice of angels they become touched in a way.

At the moment she is studying and practicing hard to be accepted into Juilliard after high school, and all ready it seems that her destiny has been sealed for it.

Jynx Xiang:  
Of all of Miyu's children, it was Jynx who insisted on retaining her birth name. Symphony and Virtue were given names when Miyu adopted them, but it was Jynx who refused to answer to anything but Jynx.

From the start it was clear who was the ring leader of the triplets. Her sisters easily swayed under her dominant personality Jynx was at the head of all of their youthful hijinx. No one could ever really say that Jynx wasn't aptly named, though Miyu often wonders at her wisdom at allowing her to retain her name for it seems that reality seems bent and shaped around this girl's name.

As a child she was merely rambunctious, but as the girls have entered high school, with Symphony obsessed with her violin more often than not, and Virtue concerned with her own thoughts, she found herself more and more falling in with the wrong crowd. She respects and admires Miyu, and most of the time follows her rules, but if a screen were to be found open in the middle of the night it would be no question who had snuck away in the wee hours to meet with her friends past curfew.

Though she is remorseful and serves her punishments with a willing heart, she finds she also chafes under Miyu's strict ways. As a result she has become a willful and confused teen trying to find her way through high school with no special talents that she can discern, though Miyu is sure that she has some hidden deep within her soul, for her sisters each have a talent beyond normal. The question is if she will ever calm down enough to discover what it could be, or remain in trouble and grounded her entire teenage years.

Virtue Xiang:  
Virtue's name says a lot about her. She was quiet and shy when first brought to Miyu's home, and still retains a lot of those qualities, but of late she has been more outspoken and willing to take more chances as time goes along. She's fallen in with a more popular crowd in high school which is unfortunately quite the opposite of her sister Jynx which can create some tenses situations both at home and in school, however due to Virtue's nature she is very tolerant and forgiving of Jynx's outbursts.

It was discovered early on that Virtue was an emapth, and has been studying under Kyrsten's care to learn how to control and use this gift to help others. Her dream of becoming a psychologist after high school is reflected well in her good grades, and 'in' crowd friends. Sometimes, though she feels a little lonely because no one but Miyu and Kyrsten really understands what it is like to feel other's feelings whether you want to or not.

As she continues to learn and grow it has become obvious that Virtue has the talent of becoming a great diviner, and both Kyrsten and Miyu have been working with her to cultivate her talents.

Miyu has been pleased to teach her to use the Tarot, and with Miyu's teaching and Kyrsten's guidance she is learning to bring her gift under her control and glimpses a future will it will help her in chosen career. The trick right now, however is surviving high school first.

Celebration:  
Celebration is a songbird, of the highest quality. She's an essence from the kennels that take a bit of your blood out in a lab, and combine it with a mysterious substance to create a new being that is a lot like you, but also their own being.

Celebration was born around Miyu's birthday and not only has a most beautiful singing voice she seems to only speak in riddles, rhymes, songs, snatches of poetry, or quotes from books or movies. She has become a wonderful companion for Miyu, who seems to have no trouble deciphering Celebration's meanings from her mysterious babbles.

As a matter of fact, Miyu named her shop from Celebration's sphinx like qualities: Mysterious Babbles.

Celebration can most often be seen on Miyu's shoulder, but she's been known to make a few excursions out and about alone. However, most people have some trouble following what she's singing or talking about, though an astute observer may be able to figure it out if they can pinpoint the quote Celebration is using.

Amalthea:  
Amalthea is a periox, thought not much is really known about her species. The eggs were found by Miyu's good friend Yanagi-san, and Miyu came into the ownership of one through her.

Amalthea has developed an empathic and telepathic bond with Miyu, though her sweet and loving nature is shared with all, her mind voice is reserved for Miyu. Only in extreme cases of emergency has she ever been known to 'speak another, and that was Kyrsten, though very little is actually known about that incident and Kyrsten is stubbornly silent on the entire issue.

She understands speech, and her facial expressions are almost enough that she could speak, though often Synx is around to speak for her. Wide green eyes reflecting off her blue fur often makes one just want to hug and cuddle and she does seem to enjoy that.

Knowing if a guest of Miyu is comfortable around her or not she can be seen or not seen depending on what she feels is needed. Being an aqua periox of her species she seems most concerned with the emotional states of those in the house, as well as the beginnings and endings of cycles. Miyu often suspects if Amalthea is capable of emotional healing or projection, but Amalthea is yet young so it remains to be seen. If it is so, it is a wild talent as of yet.

Synx:  
Synx is a Kimineko, a special breed of cat that Miyu's good friend Yanagi-san developed. Kiminekos are special in that they can learn and speak human speech. Synx was Miyu's first pet and also how she was introduced to Yanagi-san, and they made fast friends.

When Synx was younger she was a little jealous of Amalthea's ability to be empathic with Miyu, but has long since learned that Amalthea's inability to speak to anyone but Miyu has her at a disadvantage, and has made it her goal in life to interpret for her.

Lately Synx has been on escort duty for Jynx when she sneaks out of the house, though Jynx never knows she's being ghosted. Miyu and Synx both feel safer knowing Synx is around and can run for Miyu or help should the need arise. If Jynx found out though she would probably be mad, so Synx is very careful not to get caught following her.

Synx is very loyal to the family, but often can be found in a guest's lap purring softly to bring them comfort.

Sapphire and Obi-Wan:  
Obi-wan is a Star Kit that Miyu won in an auction from the shop that creates them. Sapphire fell instantly in bond with Obi-wan from the start so Miyu got him for her. Little is yet known about him. Sapphire came from the heavens at a time when Miyu was not feeling very well. She is a bundle of happiness and joy. She is created to be a conduit of energy for a Star Kit, but bonded to Miyu for a short while until they met Obi-wan. Her favorite pastimes are being held, bouncing in place, and sending energy to Obi-wan. This little UFO is never down or depressed, and always willing to be hugged and loved.

House Rules:

Miyu's Guests are not to be disturbed.  
Guests are to be treated like royalty, and left in peace and quiet unless they wish companionship. They are here to rest, relax, or otherwise be soaking up the peaceful ambience of her home.

Do not make Dove's job harder than it is.  
While Dove enjoys serving and making everyone comfortable, all residents are to attempt to clean up after themselves, and not make Dove's job harder than it already is. The children are expected to do thier chores and help around the house.

All residents are expected for dinner everyday.  
No matter what is happening in our lives this is a time for Miyu, and those she considers family, time to bond. Miyu expects Dove, Shoushan, Kyrsten, and the children promptly at five for dinner so that everyone can share at least one meal together and touch base. Intelligent pets are welcome whether they talk aloud or telepathically to their companions.

Guests are of course welcome to dinner if they chose, or have it served privately in their rooms at six.  
However, if there is to be a formal dinner that night, dinner will only be served at seven during the festivities.

The children are to make their whereabouts known to Dove at all times.  
If Dove is not available they should leave her a note. Curfew is at Ten PM for the children. Bedtime for the children is Eleven-Thirty on school nights.

Visitors are welcome at any time before Ten PM.  
Visitors are asked to knock after Ten PM.

If you chose to stay as a Guest, please inform Dove.  
If you are going to be staying with us please let Dove know as soon as you can so she can prepare your room. Also, let us know how long you will be staying with us, though this is not necessary, simply let Dove know when you chose to leave.

Please do not disturb Miyu when she is meditating.  
If Miyu is needed please inform Dove, Kyrsten, or Amalthea. Only those three have been properly trained to get Miyu's attention when she's meditating. All others please take care not to disturb her during that time. Yes, even if Miyu has been meditating for several hours, weeks, or months.


	2. Chapter 2

Night, A Few Days Before The Gaia Anniversary Ball:

Miyu awoke in the dead of night. Her blue eyes snapped open just like that and she found herself fully awake. She glanced over to the person sleeping on the mat next to her, but they were still. She turned and snuggled back in, listening to them breathe in and out in a slow steady rhythm, hoping to fall back asleep, but there was no help for it. She was awake. The small tones of the chimes sang in the background as she disentangled herself from the covers, a quiet murmur to her sleeping companion as she slipped from the mats.

She made her way to the kitchen, an open screen catching the corner of her eye. A deep sigh welled up from her chest, as she knew what it foretold: Jynx has snuck outside of the house again. Her worries creased her brow as she pushed back wayward strands of violet over her shoulders. She prepared her tea and settled in for a night of waiting.

Miyu sat hunched over the small table, shifting from time to time on the pillow she knelt on. It did not surprise her that she was not there very long when one the screen to the triplet's room slid open and Virtue peeked out. Miyu only lifted the teapot and poured tea into the second cup she had ready. Virtue slid the screen shut behind her and joined Miyu at the table, kneeling among the cushions comfortably.

"Is Synx following her again, mom?" Virtue asked quietly as she blew lightly through the steam wafting up from her tea. Miyu nodded as Amalthea curled in her lap, an absent hand ruffling her blue fur. Miyu was quiet for a long time, but she welcomed Virtue's company, and knew she too was worried about her sister and her antics.

"I don't always understand it," Miyu finally said, "She does not drink or smoke, or take the drugs her friends take, Synx tells me, but yet she does these things just to hang out with them." Amalthea merely bumped Miyu's hand again and Virtue glanced up to the perch Celebration was sleeping on as the small songbird murmured something aloud in her sleep. She could think of nothing more to do than to lean and hug her mom comfortingly, and Miyu sighed again hugging her back. Virtue finished her tea with an arm around her mom as Miyu leaned in to her a little bit. Virtue could tell she was worried, but she also felt something else, and it scared her a little, so she didn't say anything about it. She could tell her presence did help, so she stayed for awhile.

"Back off to bed with you now, sweetie" I will wait up for her. You all have school tomorrow," Miyu said stroking Virtue's violet hair from her face. Virtue felt her tail wag hopefully that Miyu would go easy on her sister as they all had a dance coming up fairly soon, not that Jynx had really shown any interest in it. Still, she hoped all three of them would go stag and dressed alike as they used to do when they were younger, and make the boys wonder which was which. She kissed Miyu's cheek and returned to her room. Symphony was still sleeping soundly, even though Sapphire was bouncing in place on her bed. Virtue giggled as she picked Sapphire up and hugged her, moving her to bounce beside the window. Obi-wan slept soundly in the corner.

In the dining room Miyu poured herself another cup of tea and sighed softly.

That's not all you are worried about, Miyu-san. Amalthea 'spoke in Miyu's thoughts gently, helping Miyu shift her thoughts with a careful nudge.

Miyu only sighed deeply once more in answer. She ran her hands through Amalthea's soft blue fur, and stared out into the silence of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Morning, The Day Of The Gaia Anniversary Ball:

The day dawned bright and sunny. Dove awoke and slid from the bed with a careful elegance not disturbing the bedclothes even a millimeter in the grace of her kind. She swiftly moved down the corridors of her home, throwing open the screens to the light and morning air. A slight chill swept through the house but Dove knew it would burn off by noon. She pushed long white hair from her rounded face as she smiles, her features brightening. Violet eyes shone with an inner light of pleasure as she scurried about on her morning chores. Soon breakfast was cooking and coffee simmering. A soft hum seemed to escape ivory lips as she worked, and it soon caught Celebration's attention. The violet bird fluttered closer, turning her head so she could watch Dove and soon the melody was singing out from above in the most alluring and beautiful voice.

Dove walked down the hall with a smile one her face as Celebration was soon off singing other things mostly with the theme and spirit of "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" as she slid the screen to the triplets room open, slipping inside with an unobtrusive grace to wake them. Symphony was already awake and offered a smile to Dove as she bent over Virtue to shake her shoulder. Virtue blinked and hugged Sapphire closer to her with a mumble.

"Morning, Dove," Symphony said as she slipped out of bed with a fluid grace that made Dove proud that all her lessons to the girls in decorum were not totally going to waste.

"Good morning! Up children, a big day for you, yes?" Dove said as she began to fluff Symphony's pillows and remake the bed for her while the child wandered down the hall as if drawn by a chord of music in Celebration's singing. Although, Dove reflected as she prepared the bed, 'child' isn't quite right for them anymore: they are all growing up now. Dove's violet eyes flickered to young Jynx in thought. Virtue sat up and sat the UFO on the table next to her so she could bounce in place there, and glanced at Jynx a moment before turning back to Dove with a smile.

"Good morning, Dove! Oh yes, we're very excited," she said then mouthed to Dove 'She's awake, just pretending,' to which Dove nodded. Virtue smiled at Dove feeling a little bad for Jynx who had gotten herself grounded a few nights ago and who was decidedly not excited at all. Virtue rose and wandered down the hall to join her sister for breakfast, their excited tones about the up coming ball filling the day with youthful vigor.

Jynx kept her eyes closed, ignoring them all. They were twittering about bright and happy, and even that songbird of Miyu's was going at it. Jynx listened to Dove flutter about fixing up the room, but she remained still hoping she would just go away. 'Oh sure, yes... what a lovely day. Blah blah ball.' Jynx thought to herself her hands twisting in the sheets slightly as anger welled up inside of her filling the void she almost constantly felt with anger.

Amalthea entered the room then, and sat down next to the door wrapping her tail around her feet as silent as a whisper, her green eyes leveled at Jynx curled up in her bed. Synx sat up in the window sill and stared hard at Amalthea her ears perked while Jynx kept her eyes closed tight hoping that Dove will simply chose to leave her alone. Amalthea glanced at Synx a moment then stood and walked out of the room, though her tail swished back and forth in concern. Synx glanced at Dove and shook her head no, then jumped from the sill and followed her friend out into the hallway, having a feeling they would go in search of Miyu.

Dove sighed, and finished straightening up the girls' room. She knew that Jynx would not dare mistreat her or speak crossly to her, but she also knew that Amalthea was never wrong. It was just the wrong time to try and comfort her or be of any help. Jynx has brought it on herself, she thought thinking of the times that Miyu had caught Jynx sneaking out into the night past curfew. This last time was the final straw for Miyu and she had to put her foot down and ground her from the ball.

Still, Dove had wished that Miyu would have perhaps let her attend the ball with her sisters, as they all seemed so estranged this year with high school separating them so extremely. She knew better than to try to talk Miyu out of it though once she handed down a punishment. Dove hovered over Jynx a moment more wishing there was something she could do, but she understood Synx's signal which came straight from Amalthea. She knew there was no help for it. So with a sigh, Dove turned and moved on about the house doing her morning chores and hopes that Jynx would learn something from this.

Jynx opened an eye and sighed out with relief. 'Good', she thought as she slid out of bed and silently slid the screen shut again. Sapphire fluttered her wings at her as she passed, saying, "Hug me," but Jynx ignored that too and flopped back onto her bed. Obi-wan huffed at her and rose from the corner, snatching up Sapphire like a cub and bounced up and out the window. 'Good riddance to you', then, Jynx thought after them, but the anger almost instantly simmered into a burning loneliness.

She told herself she didn't want to go to that stupid ball anyway, but she knew it wasn't true. She lay on her back alternating between staring at the ceiling and the dresses that Dove had laid out on her sisters' beds. They had planned this when they were younger, the three of them. The first time they were allowed to attend the Gaia Anniversary Ball, they were supposed to go together and wear identical outfits, and ... they had had plans, and now... this.

Jynx shrugged to herself, trying to pretend as if she didn't care. It's not like Virtue or Symphony were going to dress alike anyway. They each had a new dress of similar design, but Virtue's was blue while Symphony's was green. Jynx wrinkled her nose thinking they were too lacy anyway. She smirked a little to herself thinking she bought herself a dress nearly identical to Virtue's last year on a shopping spree. Jynx flicked an ear a little guiltily as she remembered Miyu's look to her when she got that bill. She had had to work in Miyu's shop overtime to recompense her the difference in her allowance and what she actually spent.

Suddenly she sat straight up in bed starring at Virtue's dress as a flash of insight hit her.

Of course! We're triplets! She thought to herself, her ears standing straight up. A slow smile spread over her face as she stood up, tail wagging from side to side as she moved over to her closet, marring Dove's hard work on the room as she threw and tossed things around in search of the dress. It was perfect!

It just might work!

Synx caught up with Amalthea in the hall, running her length across Thea's soft blue fur. They walked in quiet companionship for awhile, Synx murmuring softly after a few moments, "In the garden I as usual, methinks."

Synx ran on ahead, soaking up the sunlight as she ran through the garden towards the small waterfall and pond that Miyu usually took her breakfast, paws padding through soft grass and lightly etched stepping stones. She screeched to a halt almost instantly when she spotted Miyu. Miyu was sitting in her customary place next to the water, but she was meditating. Synx sat down curling her tail over her forepaws, green eyes sparkling in the morning's light as she looked over her shoulder at her approaching companion. Amalthrea sat down next to Synx and seemed to contemplate the situation, trying to decide if it was worth troubling Miyu over, or if it could wait. Synx waited patiently, knowing better than to attempt to disturb Miyu when she was meditating.

Amalthea sighed to herself softly and lightly touched Miyu's mind, but then withdrew just as gently. She shook her head to Synx and decided to leave it for another time. She rose and started to return to the house, pausing to look back to her friend. Synx alternated her two front paws in the warmth of the grass, the sun glinting off her fur making her sleepy, she curled up on the warm patch of grass with a big yawn, snapping her teeth together.

"After a nap, perhaps," Synx smiled to Amalthea as she whispered, green eyes already blinking closed as she drifted off with purr in low in her throat. Amalthea smiled and turned back to the house to find Dove. She could feel Dove relaxing after her morning chores and felt she could use a little cuddling.

What she was going to tell Miyu about Jynx's anger problems wasn't that pressing anyway, and possibly Miyu already knew. Miyu was on the path to finding out what's been troubling her lately and Amalthea didn't want to risk distracting her from it.

It could wait?


End file.
